1964 LeMans

[pantera1]

I am thinking about purchasing a '64 Le Mans. I would like to get some info and possible history on these cars. First off is the color. It is a gold which has been nicely repainted about 5 years or so ago and still looks very fresh. I can't however find this color in my researches. It looks to be the original color since the car never had a frame off restoration. It is a one owner car since new. As for the rest of the car it looks perfectly stock and in 1- or better condition. It can be viewed on Californiacars.com. Someone Please get back to me soon as I don't want this to get away. Also, what is the investment value of a really nice 1964 Pontiac Le Mans? Please contact me at sosab@roadrunner.com

[Larry]

Congratulations on finding a nice Lemans that hasn't been made into a GTO!

For color, check the color code letter on the tag on the firewall (under the hood). Then check it against the color information we have listed in our Technical Information forum section. There are three colors in '64 that might be yours: R= Alamo Beige; S= Saddle Bronze (which the fellow inthe video states it is); T= Singapore Gold.

As for value, please be careful to not over rate the condition. Consider that a #1 car would have to be like one sitting on a dealer's showroom floor- inside, outside, and underneath. A #2 would be the same car just driven for a year or two and very well taken care of. Most very nice original, and even restored but driven cars, best qualify as a #3. That is a very rough rule of thumb, to try to conside actual condition. Disappointing, but true. This one's nice interior, shinny new paint, and nice chrome may make it a 2-1/2, but it is still a well used (although well cared for) car that has been spiffed up a bit. That being said, I would love to see pictures from before the paint job. New paint can hide a lot.

The felow in the video mentions "factory air." It sure looks like under dash add-on air, which might have been done at the dealership, but I doubt the factory.

To find value, see if you can locate an Old Cars Price Guide. Sometimes you can find them in a local book store. They stay very current on auction results and publish (I think) quarterly. I would bet that a #2-1/2 to 3 '64 Lemans would be about $6-8,000 in the books. It is only natural that a vintage car dealer will want about double.

[Poncho55]

Hi all. Bob in El Paso, TX here. I just purchased the car being discussed here. I probably overpaid for the car, but I currently own 5 old Pontiacs ranging from a 55 to 66 and find it to be much cheaper in the end to overpay if you don't end up with a lot of work to do. This car is a real beauty. Beside an engine detail, little has to be done.

I actually purchased the car for my wife to drive to shows, etc. The car was described to have factory AC, but it is indeed aftermarket AC. Very nicely done and super cold. I am into originality issues, but AC is almost a must for a car that you want to drive in the desert southwest.

As aformentioned, it is nice to see a LeMans that has not been cloned to a GTO. The only thing that I immediately need to do is replace the tires. They are Michelins with lots of tread left, but as in most classics, they are cracked and old, a very dangerous situation. As far as I can decode, these tires are vintage 1999, far too old to trust. I have NOT ordered tires yet, but plan on doing so soon. I have not decided yet whether I want to go back to correct bias ply tires or modern radials.

I do want to also consider emphasizing the plainness of a LeMans and change the wheel covers to "dog dish" type. Those are readily available as reproductions.

Over all, I was truly surprised at the quality of this car.

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[Larry]

Hi Bob,

Congratulations on a very nice addition to your stable. It sure looks nice in that desert shot... perfect color (but then again I always loved the "earth tones"-- anyone can paint a car red for attention!).

"Over paying" is relative. When you consider that these cars are always going up in value, I more prefer to think I paid the "future" price while getting to enjoy the car "today." Besides, if someone has something you like, there often isn't much of an alternative... other than going home empty handed, and that's no fun.

Enjoy your new Pontiac (your lucky wife too!). Who knows, with the rarity of Lemans' and Tempets, one day they may be cloning GTOs into them.